Colorado Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki hits an RBI single in the first inning of a baseball game against the San Diego Padres at Coors Field in Denver on Wednesday, Sept. 15, 2010.

Colorado Rockies Troy Tulowitzki (2) hits his second three run homerun in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres September 15, 2010 at Coors Field. John Leyba, The Denver Post

Colorado Rockies Troy Tulowitzki (2) rounds first base as he hits his second three run homerun in the fourth inning against the San Diego Padres September 15, 2010 at Coors Field. John Leyba, The Denver Post

Colorado Rockies Jorge De La Rosa (29) delivers a pitch against the San Diego Padres September 15, 2010 at Coors Field. John Leyba, The Denver Post

The Rockies' Troy Tulowitzki connects on his second three-run home run of Wednesday's game against the San Diego Padres.

It’s 10:51 on Wednesday morning and Rockies shortstop Troy Tulowitzki is amped. Just as he has for the last 20 years, Tulo is trying to win at something.

He makes a spirited plea to outfielder Ryan Spilborghs to trade him a player for his fantasy football league club.

“I am getting my team tightened up,” Tulowitzki said.

Hours later, with the season on the brink, the shortstop realigned the Rockies in a 9-6 victory over the Padres. All he did was hit two home runs, drive in seven and assure that San Diego and Atlanta remain within reach, sitting an identical 2 1/2 games ahead of the Rockies in the division and wild-card races.

“You could tell from his first at-bat today that he wasn’t going to let us lose,” Rockies manager Jim Tracy said. “He’s as competitive a player as I have ever seen.”

With 16 games remaining — six at home, 10 on the road — the Rockies aren’t going pleasantly and agreeably into that good night, not with Tulo swinging his bat like Tyson once did his fists.

Tulowitzki’s first three-run home run off Padres starter Clayton Richard sounded mean, fleeing over the center-field fence. In that instant, Tulowitzki showed why he has been baseball’s most dangerous player over the last two weeks.

Only teammate Carlos Gonzalez has approached Tulo for sheer impact during this stretch (which explains why CarGo was intentionally walked in the eighth with Tulowitzki on deck with seven RBIs).

Over his last 13 games, Tulowitzki has batted .365 with 11 home runs and 25 RBIs. The Rockies are 11-2 in this span.

“I remind myself to enjoy this because I know the game is not this easy,” Tulowitzki said. “I am just really hot right now.”

Along with Gonzalez, Tulowitzki has dragged the Rockies back into the race and is determined to keep them there for three more weeks, if not beyond. His 11 home runs are one shy of a Rockies record for a month, and there are 13 games remaining. He has three multi-home run games over the last eight days, crediting the improved health of his left wrist.

“He’s in an unbelievable zone right now,” said former Rockies slugger Vinny Castilla, one of the players who shares the record. “He gets the barrel to every ball, then it finds the cheap seats.”

Tulowitzki’s effortless power, as Todd Helton called it — “I have seen guys hot, but not with this many home runs in such a short period of time” — was in stark contrast to the Rockies’ recent grind on the mound. Their postseason chances began teetering when the rotation logged just 17 innings in the previous four games. Needing to preserve the bullpen, Jorge De La Rosa worked 7 1/3 innings, allowing five runs and exiting to a standing ovation.

“I had good command,” De La Rosa said. “That’s how we have to pitch if we are going to make the playoffs.”

The road to the postseason winds through concerning haunts. After an off day, the Rockies begin a three-game series in Los Angeles, where they are 8-16 since 2008, followed by a trip to Phoenix, where they are 2-4 this season. At least they are bringing Tulo with them.

“He came up huge in a must-win game,” said Helton, who will return to the lineup Friday. “And every game will continue to feel like that when you are playing catch-up.”

Troy is a former Denver Broncos and Colorado Rockies beat writer for The Denver Post. He joined the news organization in 2002 as the Rockies' beat writer and became a Broncos beat writer in 2014 before assuming the lead role ahead of the 2015 season. He left The Post in 2015.

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